Industry News

Feed Additives and Medicated Feeds. The term medicated feeds includes feeds containing FDA approved medications intended to be included in animal diets. This would include medications such as chlortetracycline (CTC) use in mineral supplements fed to control anaplasmosis, antibiotics used in concentrate feeds and premixes, completed feeds, and others.

This might be a good time of year for cow/calf producers to review the basics of the VFD requirements. The FDA requires a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) for all feed use medically important antibiotics. If a cattle producer needs to use one of these antibiotics, they must obtain a VFD from their veterinarian. They must have an established veterinary-client-patientrelationship with the veterinarian in the state in which the cattle are located.

The only FDA approved medications are those used for treatment or control of specific diseases. The longest duration any VFD can have is 180 days. The VFD should specify an expiration date, which is the last day the feed can be used, not the date the drug becomes ineffective. Extra label use of FDA approved feed additives is strictly prohibited by law.

Good records are essential with VFD feeds as well as any medications to ensure proper withdrawal periods are observed. All VFD feed records must be kept and available for inspection for two years by the issuing veterinarian, the cattle producer, and the feed mill that distributed the feed. Record keeping, either computer based or by hand, can be a useful management tool. Records can be used to evaluate treatment recommendations and help the veterinarian make adjustments based on documented results.

Note that there are several feed medications that do not require a VFD. These would ionophores and parasite control medications. Visit with your veterinarian for more detailed information on VFD requirements.

Internal Parasite Control. Internal parasites cause a variety of clinical signs, including weight loss, diarrhea, and death. Other, less obvious parasitic signs (often referred to as subclinical signs) significantly impact producers. The subclinical signs may include things like decreased weaning weights and lower rates of reproduction.

Widespread use of anthelmintics (dewormers) has led to most cattle parasite control programs focusing on maximizing production rather than treating clinical disease. There are three anthelmintics classes available in the United States: the benzimidazoles, the macrocyclic lactones, and an imidazothiazole.

Due to the extensive use of anthelmintics, concerns have been raised about the development of parasite resistance leading to loss of product effectiveness. Researchers at OSU are currently investigating Oklahoma cattle herds for parasite resistance.

Numerous factors relative to the use of anthelmintics are thought to have the potential to contribute to the development of resistance. One of the biggest factors is thought to be the treatment of all animals in a production system regardless of parasite load. Application of treatment at a time of year when larval numbers on pastures are low can also lead to a relative increase in resistant larvae on the pasture. Additionally, the weight of animals is often estimated, leading to underdosing with inadequate concentrations of the drug reaching the parasite. Other groups of animals are often treated based on the average weight of the group, which leads to roughly half of the population receiving less than the recommended dose. The delivery form of the anthelmintic can also impact the risk of resistance. Pour-on formulations are convenient and easy to use, but accurate dosing is difficult, and pour-on formulations produce lower drug concentrations at the level of the parasite. Also, licking behavior has been shown to result in drug exposure of nematodes in non-treated cattle.

In order to address parasite resistance and maintain product efficacy, sustainable parasite control programs must be developed. Effective programs are built upon knowledge of parasite life cycles, sound grazing strategies, and proper product use. It’s important to note that sustainable parasite control aims to suppress parasite population below the threshold for economic loss, not completely eliminate parasite populations. Producers should work closely with their veterinarian to design an effective parasite control program.

Cargill Joins U.S. CattleTrace to Support Development of National Disease Traceability System. Cargill, the global food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products company, announced that it has joined U.S. CattleTrace as an official packer member. Cargill is the second beef processor to invest in the effort formed by multiple state cattlemen’s organizations to develop a national infrastructure for animal disease traceability in the U.S. cattle industry.

“Reducing the impact of disease is critical for the U.S. Beef herd which is why we’re excited to join the U.S. CattleTrace program and champion its efforts to improve global competitiveness and food safety across the value chain,” said Jarrod Gillig, business operations and supply chain lead for Cargill’s North American protein business. “At Cargill, we’ve long been focused on enhancing the traceability and resilience of our supply chains and believe our partnership with U.S. CattleTrace can help move the industry forward.”

U.S. CattleTrace will assist animal health officials by responding to events of foreign animal disease within the U.S. cattle herd to limit any impact to daily operations and help maintain access to important beef export markets.

“Cargill is a leader of sustainability in the agricultural industry, so to have them as a partner in animal health and disease traceability in our country is exciting,” said Brandon Depenbusch, chair of the U.S. CattleTrace Board of Directors. “Cattle industry leaders have provided input that in order to create and sustain a producer led traceability system, all industry sectors need to be involved. This commitment from an industry leader shows that no-matter where we come from in the cattle industry, we are all working towards a common goal of protecting our nation’s herd and the highest quality, most sustainable beef product in the world.”

Using ear tags and radio frequency technologies, U.S. CattleTrace collects critical data, including individual animal identification numbers as well as the date, time, and GPS location of the animal. The program utilizes the collected data to track animals in the event of a disease outbreak, as well as track the animal from birth location to each location they travel prior to reaching a processor for harvest. An ear tag with an electronic chip interacts with the radio frequency emitted by the reader. Tags are electronic but not battery operated, meaning they can last the lifetime of the animal.

The new U.S. CattleTrace initiative combines the efforts of CattleTrace, which included multiple partners from across the country, as well as traceability pilot projects in Florida and Texas. The partner organizations include the Kansas Livestock Association, Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association.

Cargill’s North America protein business produces fresh, frozen, and cooked beef, turkey, pork, chicken and egg protein offerings, sauces, soups, case ready products, pet treats, and by products for retail, foodservice, and food ingredient customers.

Protect Cattle From Heat Stress. Being proactive is the best way to deal with heat stress in cattle, according to North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialists.

To anticipate when heat stress conditions will be developing, actively monitor temperature and humidity forecasts.

Extreme temperatures are expected to hit many parts of North Dakota this week, with many cities projected to break record highs. The current outlook for the summer has increased chances for warmer than normal temperatures, increasing the potential for heat stress in cattle.

“If cattle are already experiencing severe heat stress, it may be difficult to help them recover from it,” cautions Zac Carlson, Extension beef cattle specialist. “Being prepared and implementing an action plan can minimize the impacts of heat stress on animal performance (i.e., reduced feed intake, weight gain, reproductive efficiency and milk production) during the upcoming periods of heat and will avoid death losses in severe cases.”

Heat stress occurs when cattle are not able to dissipate heat.

Mammals have involuntary methods of regulating their internal body temperature, including shivering and sweating to maintain “homeostasis,” or a constant, stable environment, says Gerald Stokka, Extension veterinarian. Signs that animals are trying to maintain homeostasis include an increased respiration rate, increased heart rate, and increased panting. While animals are using extra energy, their feed intake declines.

Water is an important part of dealing with heat stress. For pasture cattle, evaluate the conditions of the water supply and ensure plenty of high quality drinking water is available.

The amount of water livestock need depends on the type of animal and stage of production, with requirements often doubling during hot weather. The general estimates of daily water intake for beef cattle when the temperature is 90ºF are: • Cows - 18 gallons for nursing calves; 15.3 gallons for bred dry cows and heifers • Bulls - 20 gallons •Growing cattle - 9.5 gallons for a 400 pound animal; 12.7 gallons for a 600 pound animal; 15 gallons for an 800 pound animal • Finishing cattle - 14.3 gallons for a 600 pound animal; 17.4 gallons for an 800 pound animal; 20.6 gallons for a 1,000 pound